Stand Tall Against All Odds
by kandy2431
Summary: This is the story of a girl and her knight who made their dreams come true. After they came to possess the seven stars of Suzaku, powers were bestowed upon them. Tragedies unfold and happiness seems unattainable at times, they kept pushing until the end.
1. Chapter 1

Name: Persephony Hiroshima

Nickname: Percy

Hair color/style: Dark red, long and flows to about mid-back. has bangs that are parted to the left.

Eye color: light brown

Personality: yet to be found out

hobbies: roller skating, basket ball, fencing, piano playing, reading

fears: lightning, heights and clowns

likes: hanging out with friends, teasing Miaka and Yuui, Dancing like no ones watching when a good song is on, rainy days, ice cream, sweets and pickles

Dislikes: Bullies, prejudise, people in general when she's angry, navigation and most sour and spicy things, the only exception is pickles.

Parents: father is deceased and mother is loving and caring. She has no other siblings. Her mother only wishes the best for her and knows she can accomplish anything if she works hard at it. She loves her mother very much. Miaka and Yuui are over at her house so much they even call her mom sometimes.

Something she is HORRIBLE at: singing and navigation. Her voice cracks glass and she could get lost in a strait hallway with no doors...no joke. Only time she gets to where she's going is when she's angry and she's going somewhere. 

_You are stronger than you think-remember to stand tall._

_Every challenge in your life helps you to grow._

_Every problem you encounter strengthens your mind and your soul._

_Every trouble you overcome increases your understanding of life._

_When all your troubles weigh heavily on your shoulders,_

_remember that beneath the burden you can stand tall,_

_because you are never given more than you can handle-_

_and you are stronger than you think._

_Stand Tall_

"Damn bus, damn people, damn mud, and DAMN TEACHERS FOR GETTING PISSY ABOUT PEOPLE BEING LATE!" I ranted as I roller bladed at the speed of light down the side walk. I bet your wondering why I'm cursing everything and anything I've come into contact with this fine morning.

I'm cursing the bus for 2 reasons: it left before I got on it, and as it was passing me, it splashed mud, and gunk and god knows what else all over me from a puddle that shouldn't even exist since it hasn't rained in like, 2 weeks. So, I had to go home, change out of my uniform and put on my normal clothes and hope to god that they'll look the other way when I tell them my predicament. So, I curse mud for that as well.

I'm cursing people because they keep getting in my way as I make my mad dash to my school. People should just make a path for me when I'm in this kinda mood, or else get push into on coming traffic. Their choice.

And teachers, well, most teachers hate any and all students who show up late, so I shouldn't have to explain myself on that one.

I skidded to a stop in front of the gates that led to my school and kept going, roller blades still on, into the school.

Have you ever roller bladed into a private school that, not only prohibits dress code violations unless in an emergency, but also you get detention if you so much as run in the hall? Yea, well, it's a sure fire way to get suspended if you go to said school, or get the cops called on you. But as luck would have it, no teachers got in my way as I made my way to my class room on the other side of the junior high, leaving the halls completely barren except for the few unlucky ones who had been going to the bathroom this morning, only for me to run over their foot, and leave them in the dust.

Ever crashed into a classroom head first going almost 50 mph? yea, not fun…especially for the Spanish teacher that got the heart attack. And you think I'm joking huh?

The ambulance was here to pick him up 20 minutes later.

"You actually gave him a full blown heart attack. I don't believe you! Why were you on roller blades anyway?" my friend, Yuui Hondo, exclaimed as the ambulance drove away.

"Cause roller blading is heck of a lot faster then running, and I needed speed…but I guess my stopping skills just aren't as good as they used to be." I stated simply as I pulled off my skates and replaced them with my converse.

"You CRASHED into the door! You completely obliterated the front of the class room! You're lucky no one got hurt!"

"Alright MOM, I'll make a mental note to myself to give my apologies to the probably now dead teacher."

"PERCY!" a voice squealed just before I was attacked from behind and forced to the floor.

"You're my savior! You really are! If you hadn't given Mr. Shin that heart attack, I would have had to hold my desk above my head for the rest of the day!" You turn your head to see your best friend, Miaka Yuki, giving you a smile so big she practically glowed with happiness.

"Glad I could assist the needy" I huffed as I shoved her off of me and brushed myself off. "But I must say, had I known what the outcome would have been, I wouldn't have bothered to come here after the damn bus soaked me."

"Is that why you're in civilian clothes today?" Miaka asked as we made our way to the new classroom we would be staying at until ours was fixed and our teacher got out of the hospital.

"Yea; my mom's gonna flip when she finds out about this though. It's the third time this month I've had to go to extremes to try and not be late." I sighed in despair. I was always late it seemed, and honestly, I hated being late [hence the roller blade incident] and this really wasn't the first time school property had been damaged. There was this one time whenever I had to high-jack this…err…well, that's a long story.

The rest of the day was uneventful. The class was questioned, of course, on what happened, and thankfully no one ratted me out. I was in the clear by the time school ended.

"I still can't believe you didn't get caught!" Miaka exclaimed as her, Yuui and I walked to the train station.

"Neither can I, I thought for sure someone would rat me out." I stated "Maybe I'm just extra lucky today!"

We all stopped for something to eat and ran into Genko and Hiromi [totally fake, but I didn't know their names, sue me! Genko is the fat one and Hiromi is the one with the braids] we started talking to them too as we continued on our way to the train station.

"I still can't believe someone could actually crash into a classroom and get away with it." Genko stated.

"Dumb luck maybe" I said simply.

"And just before you crashed into the classroom, Miaka got sent into the hall way for hitting the teacher upside the head with her desk!" Hiromi exclaimed, making Miaka look down, ashamed.

"Seriously?" I asked, looking at her with raised eyebrows.

"Yea, but it's his fault for waking me up!" she said defensively.

"Yea and we were reviewing for exams no less! They aren't going to let you into Yotsubadai (sp?)"

"So?" Miaka exclaimed "I don't want to go to Yotsubadai."

"Then what's your first choice?" Hiromi asked

"Jonan" I and she said in unison.

"WHAT?"

"You mean Jonan, as in the best school in our district Jonan?"

"Is there another one?" I mused, walking backwards, my roller blades hung on my shoulder, and my book bag was in my left hand as I fiddled with my skates' lace.

"Have you consulted your brain about this?" Hiromi asked, looking at Miaka skeptically.

"What about Yuui and Percy? They wanna go there too!" Miaka exclaimed

"Well, that's a whole different story altogether"

"Why is it different? Why?" Miaka exclaimed.

"Because I'm a genius and you're stupid?" Yuui teased

"Or because the only thing that you think about in that head of yours is food and shopping…but mostly food" I said as I paid for my ticket.

"Are you guys really my best friends?"

"I think I am"

"You know it! We're besties bitch, through thick and thin!" I exclaimed as I flung my arm around her neck.

"Come on you corn balls, come with me!" Yuui said as the other two left to go to their own train.

"Why, where we goin Yuyu?" I asked, using her old nickname.

"To the national library!" How someone can act so chipper about a library is beyond me.

"That sounds like you. Alright, I'll admit it; you are the second smartest person in the whole school Yuui Hondo!"

"Who's first?"

"Why me, Persephony Hiroshima, of course!" I exclaimed.


	2. Ch 2: Odd findings, weird happenings

Walking up to the National library, I couldn't help but feel a bit intimidated by it.

"Wow, looks so official…" Miaka said in wonder

"This is the first time you've been to the NATIONAL library, isn't it?" I ask accusingly, making Miaka twiddle her thumbs in embarrassment.

Walking into the library, Yuui left us so that she could go return her book.

"I don't know why, but the fact that it's national makes me a little nervous" said Miaka

"Why? It's just bigger then other libraries, that's all" I stated, only to find that Miaka was already at the snack machines, thinking about what she should get.

"You and your eating habits. They're worse then a pregnant woman's." I mused as I walked over to her. I suddenly felt a chill run up my spine, like someone gently running a blade up my back. I turned around only to see a glimpse of a red something…and the glimpse was so faint I can't say for sure if it really happened or not.

"Weird…" I stated. I turn around to make my way to where Miaka was, only to find her about to turn a corner that led to the stairs to the upper part of the library.

"Miaka wait!" I exclaimed as I run over to catch up with her. I caught her arm just as she was about to go up the stairs.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"A bird just flew up there! I just saw it!" She said excitedly

"Really…well, I don't see any harm in checking it out then…" I said as we reluctantly went up the stairs.

When we were all the way up the stairs, at the end of the hall way was a lone door with a sign on it that said: Reference only, important Literature.

A sudden flapping of wings inside of the room indicated that the bird was indeed inside of the room.

"How did it open the door…?" I mused, seeing that the door was closed. Miaka opened said door and looked inside. We both ventured into it, my eyes widening in surprise. Most of these books must have been hundreds of years old and must cost at least a million yen a pop [if my math skills don't fail me, that's about 100,000 American dollars…give or take]

"Miaka, Percy?" Yuui's voice asked from behind us, making Miaka jump into my arms in fright. [Scooby do moment, couldn't resistJ]

"What are you doing?" Yuui asked

"Miaka said she saw a bird" I stated as I dropped said girl onto the ground.

"Oww! Warn me next time!" Miaka whined as she got up "And I really did see a bird! Honest!"

"A bird?" Yuui laughed

"Yea, I heard it come in here…I heard it flapping!"

"A bird was flapping in the National Library? Yea right"

"I heard it too Yuui, don't be a non believer of the mysterious flapping bird" I said in a dark voice. "You could face dire consequences!"

Right as I said that, a book fell off the shelf directly behind us and landed with a loud thump, startling the three of us.

After plucking up the courage, I went over and kneeled down and picked the book up. Flipping it to it's cover I noticed the title. Miaka and Yuui sat on either side of me and read over my shoulder as I read aloud

"The book of the universe of the four gods"

"What is it?" Miaka asked

"A mouthful if you ask me" I stated as I opened it.

"It looks like a story of ancient china" Yuui said in bewilderment.

"Wish we knew what it said, it's all in Chinese scripture." I stated bordly, not very amused by it anymore now that I knew I couldn't read it.

"There by…" Yuui read, concentrating on remembering her Chinese "the girl of legend and her sacred knight opened the door to which opened to another world."

"Wow, you're amazing Yuui! I never thought you could read old Chinese!" Miaka exclaimed

"I believe the term "ancient Chinese scripture" is more appropriate Miaka." I said

"Hey, that's it! That's the bird I saw!" Miaka exclaimed, ignoring me and pointing to a picture of an elaborately drawn phoenix.

"This is the story of a girl who made her dreams come true." Yuui continued "after she and her knight came to possess the seven stars of Suzaku, many powers were bestowed upon them. The story itself is a spell. The one who reads it through will be given these powers and a wish comes true like the girls in the story."

"So the knight is a girl?" I mused

"I suppose…how do you know?"

"It used girl as a plural, so it's only an assumption" I stated, waving her on so she would keep going.

"This story will come true the moment the first page is turned."

"What's it mean?" Yuui asked Miaka

"Don't ask me! How the heck should I know?" the book suddenly started glowing a bright red and I suddenly got the sensation I was being suck into a small tube, not being able to breath or move at all. I blacked out almost immediately. 

When I awoke, I was situated in between Miaka and Yuui; I was holding Miaka and Yuui's arms were around my waist. I got up and looked around to find out that we were literally in the middle of nowhere. Nothing but rocks, bumpy terrain, some dead trees and grass surrounded our small group for miles.

"What happened?" Yuui groaned

"I have no idea, but it doesn't look like we'll be getting home" I stated, still bemused at the situation. Miaka was the last to wake up and immediately saw if we were alright. I got up and brushed myself off. Miaka and Yuui followed suit and kept close to me.

"What is this place?" Yuui asked. I wanted to see something first before I answered. I elbowed Miaka in the head as hard as I could and asked

"Does this hurt?"

"YES, check it out!" But before she could right hook my chin, I ducked and poor Yuui ended up getting the blow.

"Ouch! This hurts to much to be a dream!" Yuui exclaimed, smacking me upside the head. That's when Miaka started to have the panic attack.

"A dream with no ice cream, no double cheese burgers or triple scoops with choco mint? IT'S A NIGHTMARE!" She screamed

"ALL YOU CAN THINK ABOUT IS EATING MIAKA!" Yuui yelled, and to show my own frustration I merely punched her head.

"Calm down you idiot, stop thinking about your stomach and…" I was cut off by a chill running up my spine. The same sensation I got back at the library. I don't know how, and I don't know why, but I pushed Miaka out of the way and side kicked into something hard.

"How did I do that…?" I asked a bit creeped out by myself as I looked at the big gorilla of a man that now sported a probably broken nose. To the side of him was a sword that I assumed he had dropped. I looked behind him to see that a different guy had Yuui and she was struggling to get out of his vise like grip.

"You'll pay for breaking my nose you wench!" he growled as he picked up his sword.

"We'll get a fine price off of them, these beauties"

"Are you a Chinese acrobatic troop?" Miaka asked cluelessly, which earned her a hard slap on the head from me. The big broken nose gorilla did the yelling.

"ARE YOU STUPID? We are human slave traders!" I suddenly got this tugging feeling in my stomach. Almost like butterflies, but a little harder and more painful. The urge to protect my friends grew and adrenaline started to burn through my veins. Common sense was the only thing that kept me from doing somthing on pure instinct. It was two, strong and big guys, against a girl who's only ever taken fencing a couple times before. I didn't stand a chance.

I suddenly heard Miaka yelling and charging into the gut that had hold of Yuui. Obviously, Miaka didn't hold any common sense in her at all.

"RUN YUUI, PERCY!" I was just about to say screw common sense and go on the instinct that was pulling on my internal organs when suddenly, out of no where a guy comes from behind the guy whose nose I had broken and twists his arm into a very painful position.

The fight that ensued was short and sweet as the guy completely pulverized the gorilla looking men. Miaka and Yuui looked at their savior in admiration while I simply watched the show that he was putting on. I sensed something about him. I can't quite put my finger on it, but something about him was defiantly…not wrong but not right either. He smelled different to. Don't ask me how I know how the man SMELLS, I just do. It was kinda like a metallic smell, mixed with a burning leaves kinda smell. It was weird, but not unpleasant.

When the two men ran away with their tails between their legs, I watched the man to see what he would do next. He didn't look dangerous, his hair was a dark blue color, which struck me as odd, but all in all, he looked normal. But that smell was still invading my nostrils and it got stronger as he got closer, and I had to physically hold my hands down to prevent them from covering my nose. Strike what I said about his smell not being to unpleasant, it now smelt HORRIBLE!

"Are you three alright?" he asked, kneeling down. I thanked the lord above it was Miaka who was directly in front of him, or else I fear I would have puked all over him.

"Yes, thank you so much for saving us!" Yuui said, a dreamy smile gracing her lips, and an identical one was on Miaka's, whereas I was doing everything in my power not to empty the contents of my stomach on this poor, smelly guy.

"I'd prefer money over a thank you" he said kindly. We all looked at him as if he had grown a third head. "Oh, don't tell me I rescued a bunch of losers! Come on now girls, money makes the world go round!" he got up and started walking away. Suddenly, puking all over him didn't seem like such a bad idea…

"We didn't ask for your help in the first place!" Yuui exclaimed as she too got up and ran after the rude man.

"I think I got some…" Miaka said as she dug through her pockets. I sighed at the ever to nice Miaka. I looked over and saw the sword that that guy had dropped. I crawled over to it and picked it up.

It was a nice sword, plain and simple, but the blood that was crusted on it made me cringe and decide against taking it. Something cursed enough it had taken the lives of innocent people wasn't worth carrying around.

"AAHA! I found it!" Miaka said, lifting up a 1,000 yen dollar [ten dollars in American money I think] You look up to congratulate her on her stupidity when you noticed something. Not only was the rude smelly guy gone, but Yuui was no where in sight.

"Yuui's…gone" Miaka whimpered

"Thank you captain obvious" I snapped as I got up and looked around frantically.

"YUUI? WHERE ARE YOU?" I and Miaka hollered in panic. No, no, there was just no way! Yuui couldn't be gone, she was just right there not a second ago!

"Alright, we need to calm down! Maybe, she went after that boy from earlier" I said, remembering she had gone after him "so maybe she's at the next town or something" I reasoned, knowing it was seriously far fetched, but it was the best guess I could come up with any how.

So, we both agreed to hitch a ride on a hay wagon to the next town. It was a trip filled with odd stares from people walking by us in old time china clothes. I decided to ignore the stares, but they really bothered Miaka and she started fidgeting and telling the people that they were weirdos.

"Maybe we're the weird ones Miaka" I stated, and she looked at me, confusion written all over her face.

"Think about it. We get teleported here by a book, and we seem to be the only ones in modern day clothing. I think maybe that book teleported us to the past or something." I saw the look of utter panic on her face, so I added quickly "It's just a theory though, I'm probably completely wrong and this is all just one big nightmare!"

"Maybe we're inside the book though" She said quietly. I patted her leg comfortingly and simply said "Anything's possible I suppose" I turn around and gasp at what I see. It was beautiful. For miles all you could see were gorgeous rooftops and a wall at the very far side of the village.

"It's like a painting…or a movie set!" Miaka exclaimed.

"It's extraordinary" I agreed


	3. Ch 3: bright lights and new problems

After getting off at the next village, Miaka and I explored the place a bit, finding out quickly that our money was unfortunately worthless here.

We asked everyone in the small village if they had seen a tall blond wearing the same uniform as Miaka, or even if they had seen a blue haired guy with an ogre symbol on his forehead, but our search was fruitless. It seemed that guy had completely disappeared with our friend.

We were still searching when Miaka plopped down on a crate.

"Ahh, man I'm exhausted."

"Miaka, we've gotta keep searching..." I said. I was just as tired as she was, but I couldn't bring myself to rest knowing Yuui may be hurt or worse in a strange place like this.

"But we've searched everywhere! Yuui...where are you?" Miaka said forlornly, resting her head on her hands.

"Excuse me miss" A voice behind us said "I couldn't help but hear you, and since I'm on my own here too, I was wondering if I could show you around the Konan Empire." The man speaking was handsome in a way. his face was anyway. His hair was an ugly green color pulled back in a tight bun, and his clothes suggested he had money.

"Konan empire?" Miaka asked

"Yea"

"So that's what this place is called..." I mumbled, still sizing this guy up. I don't know why, because the guy had never done anything to suggest he had any other ulterior motive then too help out two lost girls, but then again, don't all men when it comes to the opposite sex? He just seemed a little too...nice I guess.

"Miaka, your babbling again..." I stated, noticing she was going on about this complete stranger asking her out on a date. "and get your priorities strait, idiot!"

"Oh, right, sorry..."

"We're actually looking for someone." I said, giving a side glare to my brainless friend. "He's kinda tall, blue hair, has a red ogre symbol on his forehead? Ever seen him, or are you like everyone else in this village and never seen him before?"

"Oh, yea, I know him! He's a friend of mine as a matter of fact!"

"Really?"

"Really!" Miaka and I said, me more suspicious then ecstatic.

"Do you wanna meet him?"

"Oh yes, please!" Miaka said enthusiastically. I said nothing, not wanting to get my hopes up too much.

After following the guy for what seemed like hours, we had made it to a bad part of town and the more we walked, the scarier it got.

"Hey, we almost there?" I said impatiently. The man stopped suddenly, and he turned around to show that he was looking at us with an evil kinda smirk. The kinda smile you would only ever give to someone you particularly hated.

"We're here" he said with malice coming off every syllable.

Miaka backed up behind me and I glared at our so called guide.

"Well well well, look what he brought this time! somethin a little different too!" My head whipped to the side where three other men came out of a hole in the wall of one of the abandoned houses.

"Yea, I know. Their clothes alone will get us a fortune" The man who had been guiding us said. Two of the men came and stood infront of our guide and glared hungrily at us.

"You tricked us, didn't you?" Miaka accused.

"You dirty bastards" I snarled.

A squat, ugly, pig looking man came up from behind miaka and lifted up her skirt, looking at her underwear.

The same thing that happened when we first arrived here happened now. A strong sense of protectiveness came over me, and I suddenly found myself drop kicking the guy so hard he was out cold.

_Protect the priestess._

"What...?" I said, looking around for the source of the voice.

"Percy, how did you do that! That was so cool!"

"I'd be lying if I said I knew..." I mumbled

"YOU BITCH!" Our guide roared, looking at his now fallen comrade. "How dare you..."

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" I hollered "Do you have any idea what we've been through today?" with each word, I got closer to the guy who had called himself our friend.

"This morning I woke up late, got splashed by mud, sewage and god knows what else..." One of his thugs charged at me, and ducking under his punch I swiped my foot under his feet, and as he came down I elbowed his face so hard, I'm pretty sure one of his teeth got lodged into my elbow.

"I then had to roller blade 20 blocks. 20 FREAKING BLOCKS! Do you have ANY idea how difficult that is! And I crashed into the classroom so hard, I gave the teacher a damn heart attack! What do you think that does to a person's conscience?" the second lacky came at me more hesitantly, which was all the better for me, cause a good right hook was all it took to knock him out.

"And then, after I think my day can't get any worse, I get teleported here by some STUPID magical book and nearly puke when this god awful smelly guy comes along and plays super hero and then expects us to pay him! Then he has the nerve to kidnap our friend. And then, when we thought we finally caught a break and found someone decent, he turns out to be some DAMN NEANDERTHAL WHO THINKS HE CAN HAVE HIS FUCKING WAY WITH US!"

And with that last pleasant line, I kick our guide in the nutsack. Its a cheap shot, I'm well aware, but I wanted to make sure he never had any childeren, so I grinded my foot real well when it hit. when the guy hit the ground, it took me a second to come to my senses.

And that smell hit me again.

In my peripherals, I saw the same guys who had made us go on this wild goose chase in the first place, and he looked like he was about to make a run for it, but before he could, with the adrenaline I had left, I tackled him off the wall he had been perched on and went flying onto the dirt covered ground below.

After getting a good hold of him, I threw him over the wall.

And jumped after him.

Yea, that's right. threw him, like the bad ass I felt like right then.

"Percy! That was incred...hey, are you all right?" Miaka said worriedly, rushing over to me.

"I feel sick" After that, I kinda feinted.

Like the pansy that I actually was.

MIAKA'S POV~

"Percy!" I exclaimed as she fell forward. I caught her, but I hadn't anticipated how heavy she was going to be, and nearly fell.

Laying her down, I saw she had suddenly broken out into a cold sweat, and touching her forehead, I realized that she was developing a horrible fever as well!

"H-hey, is your friend alright?" The ogre symbol guy asked. "Not that I'm worried or nothin of course!" he tacked on, not wanting to show he had any concern for the girl who just stripped away all dignity he had.

"I-I don't know! She was just fine just before those men surrounded us! She...she started to loose her temper and,well, she seemed to...glow? I don't know...I'm just so...scared...I-I do-don't know w-what to do..." And then I threw myself on this complete stranger and started crying. Yea, I know, it's real pathetic and all, but hey, like Percy said, this has been one hell of a day and it just seems to get worse and worse as it goes and this guy had been the only one who had shown us any hint of kindness since we got here and well...he was there at the time too, which helped.

"It's okay" He said, compassion in his once sarcastic voice "Your friend got rid of them, you won't have to worry about that gang anymore"

It took a few minutes, but I finally calmed down enough to form understandable words.

"Oh yea, I heard you were looking for me?" The man asked, remembering why he had been looking for the girls in the first place.

"That's right, I am! Listen, you gotta tell me where my friend Yuui is now!" I begged

"Yuui? Who's that?" The guy said, genuinely confused.

"My friend, the other girl I was with when we first met, remember?" I pleaded. I had spent a lot of this day searching for this man, he just had to know where Yuui was!

The guy gave me a look that told me he was remembering, and he said

"Never heard of her" and he shrugged and walked off, non-nonchalantly stating that he was leaving.

If he thought he was getting away now, the jack wagon had another thing coming.

In a panic, I threw myself at his legs and tripped him.

"I'm not letting go until you give me a hint!

"Alright, alright I give!" he said, throwing up his white flag.

"So are you going to tell me where she is?" I persisted, but he merely mumbled something into the dirt. "Please, tell me something about Yuui!"

The man got up and brushed himself off and glared at me, his nose a pinkish color because of him falling on it.

"How should I know?" and with a cheesy smile, he ran off.

"Hey! Wait!" I almost ran after him, but I quickly stopped, put Percy on my back, and ran as fast as I could with 120 pounds of dead weight on me.

I think I may have crossed the line when I called him a human slave trader right in the middle of the market street. But, it got the man to carry me and Percy off, so it was alright, for a while.

Until he dropped me right on top of my sick friend, who immediately started coughing and gagging.

"Percy!" I exclaimed. she was wheezing, and it looked like it physically pained her to breath.

"You jerk!" I shouted "Look what you did!"

"What I did? You're the one who went to far!" He countered, looking worriedly at Percy.

I couldn't argue with that. I had gone too far. But I still couldn't bring myself to tell him that.

"Yea? Well now my only friend in the whole world is dying and I don't know what to do and I've been treated like dirt by a complete stranger and I have no one else to..." and for the second time that day, I was reduced to tears.

"Hey" He said, sympathy in his voice"...Ugh, well, I don't have time to mess around!" He quickly changed "tracking down a person is hard work ya know?"

He didn't agreed to help me, but he carried Percy on his back, so I guess he gets brownie points for that.

After walking around for another hour, we came across a large crowd in the street, and curiosity got the better of me and I stopped and decided to see what the fuss was about.

I push my way to the front of the crowd to see a parade of soldiers coming down the street, and some of them holding a carrier that was covered by fine silks.

"Oh wow, what's the parade for?" I asked in awe

"It's for the emperor" The guy said, coming up behind me.

"Emperor?" I asked

"Yea, see that guy riding on the fancy carrier? That's him"

"Oh wow, it really is beautiful!" I exclaimed

"Oh man I wish I could have that Imperial crown, or even just one of those jeweled ornaments on it would be alright with me."

"So the emperor is really wealthy then?" I asked

"Is it not obvious?" Okay, I'll admit, dumb question.

"Is he nice too?"

"Well I've never heard anything bad about him" He said, eyebrows raised. An Idea suddenly formed into my head then. It was crazy, but so crazy, it just might work...

"I've decided then."

"Decided what?"

"To ask the emperor for one of his ornaments! Then I'll be able to pay you to help me find Yuui right?"

Tamahome's POV

As the crazy chick ran off, I had a bad feeling I was responcible, so of coarse I had to stop that girl from doing something we'll both regret.

I was too late to stop the girl from asking the emperor for one of the imperial crowns jeweled ornaments, something no peasant has ever seen let alone had, but I had to stop her some how.

But before I could do anything, the doofus trips over a rock, and in her panic to stop from falling, she grabs onto the emperor's carrier and accidentally rips the cloth of one of the curtains.

She still falls on her butt though.

One of the guards, angered by her rash actions, was about to slice her up, but I threw some smoke bombs and with that as my cover, I secured Percy on my back and scooped up the crazy girl and ran off.

Carrying 2 girls at the same time and running is hard work, and I nearly dropped the heavier crazy girl, but somehow I managed to get us far away from the royal parade.

"Are you crazy! You're trying to get yourself killed, aren't you?" I yelled

"But I wanted help!" she whimpered

"Oh please don't start crying again." I sighed "Look, I respect you and was impressed by your guts, so I'll help you find your friend, no charge, okay?"

"Really?" She asked disbelievingly

"Yea, look, my name is Sohisiku, but people call me Tamahome" I said. A little late for the introductions, but hey, better late then never.

Miaka's POV

"Tamahome? Well, I'm Miaka Yuuki. I don't know how I'll ever repay you!" Tamahome suddenly got a kind glint to his eye, and whispered

"Don't worry, I'll think of a way" And kissed my forehead.

It was a sweet little kiss, something I had never gotten to experience before. Percy has had plenty of boyfriends do it, but that's a given because she's beautiful, and even the shy Yuui has had a few boyfriends, but me, the quirky, lame dork friend never had anyone like this ever. Someone who would whisk me off my feet and kiss me like this...

"THERE THEY ARE!" A voice roared "Prepare for death!"

Suddenly, a bright red light engulfed my body, the same light that had appeared around Percy when she was fighting those thugs. It was so bright now though, and when I looked down, I could see right through my hand! I was slowly disappearing!

Suddenly I was being rushed through a dark place with specks of red light all around me. I suddenly stopped and saw a vision of Yuui, still in the library, reading the same book that had teleported us here to begin with.

And I turned to my side and saw a very translucent, very sick looking Percy. She was clad not in her normal outfit, but in a graceful, white skirt what shimmered translucently. Her top was a heavy looking Renaissance styled armor that curved around her figure gorgeously, had intricately carved symbols designed onto the edge hem of it (if thats what the bottom of armor looks like)

.com/?q=erza&order=9&offset=24#/d2wmfpo that's what the armor looks like! and Percy as well. She looks an awful lot like a certain Titania from Fairy tail, No? I'm very aware of this. I LOVE ERZA, GET OVER IT! Derp :B

I was so excited and relieved that Yuui had made it back to the library safely! But now Percy was stuck in this limbo like place, alone and sick. Was that her soul? It looked so...dormant? Not weak or powerless. Quite the opposite. She looked so powerful, and radiated energy. Maybe this was her full potential.

Suddenly, I was being pulled back sharply, like a gust of wind forcing me away.

And as quickly as it had started, I was back in the confused Tamahome's arms again.

"Guards, arrest them. The girls, and the man." The voice of the emperor called out.

"Miaka, what was-" suddenly, the guards were surrounding us, there were so many, that a wall of guards had been made, spears pointing at us from every angle.

We both stood up, Tamahome having a good grip on Percy so she wouldn't fall off of him.

The effort was in vain because one of the Guards ripped her off his back. She was still unconscious, so she looked like a rag doll in the rough guards` hands.

This is NOT good...


	4. Ch 4: Wassup guys?

No matter how hard I plead with the guards, they wouldn't be careful with Percy. If anything they were rougher on her then any of us.

And I think they gave her an extra "Umpf" when they threw us into the cold dark cell.

You think I'm exaggerating? Well, tell that to my bruised head then. I'm being quite literal. I was knocked out cold .

While unconscious, I dreamed I was running towards Yuui and Percy, Yuui sitting under a tree reading a book and Percy was chewing on some wheat, her head resting on said tree, her hands behind it as she laughed at a joke she had told.

"Yuui, Percy! Oh I'm so glad you two got back safe!"

"So you're taking the exam to get into Jonan school with me?" She said.

"Yea, it'll be like junior high, but we'll get into bigger mischief, huh?" Percy laughed. I was confused as I stopped running.

"What...?"

"I'm sorry honey, you can't" Yuui said, standing up as she morphed into my mother

"Mother? Mother, I-"

"No, it's impossible now" Percy said darkly, also turning into my mom as she stood up.

And it was like I was the only one on rewind as I was forced backwards away from the two moms.

"Mother, wait don't go!" I cried, but the ground under me shook and the crumbled, and gravity took hold and I was suddenly falling into an endless pit of nothing...

And I woke up just as suddenly, some how or another having clung onto Tamahome in the process of waking up.

"Are you alright?" He asked, his voice had IRRITATED all over it.

And I jumped off, still panicky from the nightmare as I yelled at him about threat of telling my mom on him...

"Hey, you're the one who grabbed onto me and held on tight!" He defended.

"Oh that's right, we were arrested..."

"Well no derf you freak! Now tell me who you really are and what that red glow was all about."

My eye narrowed guiltily as I looked down at the still unconscious Percy. She would be able to explain this better then I ever could. She was the smart one, just as smart as Yuui, but more street wise and better at wiggling out of situations like this.

But she couldn't breath well right now, let alone talk. She looked so bad. she had a large bruise on her left bicep from where one of the guards had "accidentally" punched her while they were trying to handcuff her, and dirt and grime covered her shirt, and sweat made it stick to her body and made the dark purple spaghetti strap shirt under it noticeable through the fabric, though thankfully no holes were in it. It was her favorite one her mom had given her.

Yuui and I had been there when she was hunting through her mother's closet for something to wear. We were going to the mall and everything else that was nice she owned was dirty. She had found it, the nice gorgeous white shirt, in the very back of her mother's walk-in closet. It was made of a delicate fabric, not silk, it wasn't shiny or anything like that, but it had a silky feel to it. It was a scoop neck, very low cut for anyone who couldn't fill it out properly, and even the busty Percy (no ryme intended) had to wear an undershirt when wearing it, and long sleeved, the sleeves going to Percy's knuckles.

I smiled at the memory. Percy's mother was so kind. She had walked in on us, and scolded Percy, not for going through her closet, but for the fact that wearing regular blue jeans with such a nice shirt was just asking for trouble and made her go change into her black skirt, a flowy one that complimented the outfit nicely.

This was that exact same outfit, converse, skirt, shirt and all.

"Hey, earth to Miaka!" Tamahome's voice shouted, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Fine, don't tell me" He said childishly. That kinda snapped it for me.

"My friend...Yuui. She's back in our own world." I whimpered, not meaning to sound as pathetic as I did.

"You mean the other girl...got home?" Tamahome questioned.

"And I think Percy was supposed to go back to, but, being the stubborn jerk she is didn't want to, so now her soul is stuck in a dark limbo place, and I haven't even made it back yet!" Yes, I was on the verge of tears for the thousandth time that day. Sue me for being an emotionally confused and hormonal teenager who was having a bizarre and very bad day!

"Don't cry anymore Miaka" A now sympathetic Tamahome said "I'll find a way to get us out of here."

"Do you really mean it?" I exclaimed.

"Well, you gave me that promise for a reward so..." He said slyly, poking my forehead. I couldn't help but be guilty. How the heck could I pay this guy?

"Dummy" I pouted.

Suddenly I realized something very important.

"Oh I am STARVING!" I whined. I patted my pocket, and found some gum Percy had given me earlier that day before all this had happened.

"Maybe this will hold me over, if just a little..." and I unwrapped the gum and put the minty rubber in my mouth.

I guess one of the guards saw me, because he rushed over to the cell we were in and started yelling at me.

"Hey girl! What did you just put in your mouth?"

"This? What a Pain!" I whined/mumbled

"Show me what you put in your mouth!"

I sighed and started to blow a bubble, and the guard completely freaked out, yelling how gross it was. I was having fun with this, getting as close as I could and even stuck my head through one of the wooden squares of our cell to get closer to the freaked guard.

And then my bubble popped, naturally going all over my face.

"AHHH! A GHOST!" And with that, our oh so brave guard ran out of there faster then Percy with her skates on.

And trips. HARD. So hard in fact the keys that were on his belt loop fly off and land right in the expecting Tamahome's hand, who was convieniently right next to me.

"Hehe, that should do the trick! Quick thinking-" And then he saw my gum covered face, screamed like a girl, saying "monster!" and ran right into the wall on the other side of the cell.

"Idiots..."

After scraping all of the gum off my face, and convincing Tamahome it had been gum and I wasn't a monster, even giving him my last pieces, we used the keys to break out of the cell. And with Percy on Tamahome's back, we raced off in the direction that was what we thought was the right one.

Sneaking around the palace, I couldn't help but be awed by the enormity of it. We easily hid behind each pillar we came too.

"Are you sure I can have this incredible stuff?" Tamahome asked for the hundredth time "No take-backs, okay?"

"Why are you being so stingy about a couple pieces of gum?" I whispered harshly

Suddenly, footsteps could be heard coming down the hall. In a panic, both Tama and I slammed into each other trying to go different directions. I spotted a door to our left and dragged him over to it and slipped into it, silently closing the door.

"Geez, I picked the wrong guy to help me out!" I whispered to myself.

"Miaka" Said helper said

"What?"

"Look at that." And I turn around and see a sparkling golden statue of the same bird I saw in the library, and in the book!

I exclaimed this to Tamahome, who said it was Suzaku.

"Suzaku?"

"There's one god for the North, South, East and West. The God who protects the East is Seiryu, the God who protects the North is Genbo, the God who protects the West is Byakko, and the God who protects the South is Suzaku. Suzaku is the Guardian Deity of Konan, and of coarse the three other gods are worshiped in their respectful regions."

I'm sure this was all very important, but I suddenly smelled something delicious wafting from somewhere, and I wanted to follow that more then I wanted to here about some gods mumbo jumbo.

My nose lead me to a fancy kitchen where the smells almost made me melt. As quietly as possible, I crawled over to the nearest table where food piled upon food was.

"Time to eat~." I whisper glutinously to myself.

After eating as much as I possibly could, I made my way out of the kitchen.

"Ah, I'm stuffed! You just gotta love how great Chinese cooking is! By the way, Tamahome-" Then I realized what a mistake following my stomach had been.

"Oh crap! I've been separated from Percy and Tamahome! What'll I do~~! Where'll I go? I wandered all the way over here!" And then a scary thought occured to me.

"I'm lost!"

I suddenly heard an amused laugh behind me, and I turn around to see a beautiful woman sitting on the ledge of one of the wooden hand rails. She pointed left, and I just gave her a confused look

"What is it? Your lost aren't you?" Her voice flowed like liquid, gentle and kind "The gate's over there, you can get out."

I felt my face flush all kinds of red as I thanked the beautiful woman and ran in the direction she pointed.

"You're the girl they captured before, aren't you?"

Well that made me stop dead.

"It seems it's true. I heard you were rude to his highness."

"Haha, what are you saying? I'm just a middle-school student passing by! Anyway, see ya!" I sounded so nervous, it was pathetic.

"Don't worry, I'm on your side. I won't call the guards after you, so please relax."

"R-really?"

And the kind, beautiful woman nodded.

"I need to find my friends" I said suddenly

"Your friends?"

"Yes, they were arrested on my account, and one of them is very sick. And the other is helping us get to our own world!"

"Your world? Are you saying you came from a different world and not ours?" She sounded excited

"Yea, me and my friend Percy did..." I then realized how farfetched that sounded. She's never going to believe me!

"That's amazing!"

"Huh?"

"How interesting! Another world you say? That's just amazing!" And the woman held my face, looked into my eyes deeply and said

"Relax. My name is Hotohori, although I'm usually called something else."

"My name is Miaka Yuki, but you can just call me Miaka." I said in a daze.

"I'm pleased to have made friends with you." And I blushed

"What's wrong?"

"It's nothing. You're just so pretty Hotohori!" Yes, I am quite blunt. You'll get used to it.

"Indeed I am." She was conceited. But I guess that's the price of beauty, a big head.

Suddenly, guards could be heard coming around the corner.

"Quick, hide!" And she pushed me

From my hiding spot, I saw the guards yelling at Tama, Percy slung over the shoulder of one of the men.

"Wait!" I yelled, rushing from my hiding spot.

"Miaka!" Tamahome exclaimed.

"Please, don't hurt them!"

"Miaka, stay back! What are you doing here?"

"Because...well, because I couldn't just leave you!" Suddenly, one of the guards grabbed me.

"Tamahome!"

"Miaka!" and I saw his forehead light up again, and he suddenly broke free of his bindings and punched the guards that had been holding him, and caught the air born Percy, who had been so because he had punched her guard so hard. He rushed forward in his rage, Percy in one arm, and knocked out the man who had been holding me.

He set her down gently next to me and took a defensive stance in front of us.

"If you bastards lay a _finger_ on her, I'll make you sorry!"

"SILENCE!" A voice roared from behind. It was the same woman I had befriended before.

"No one is to harm any of them without my orders!"

"Who...who the hell are you?" Tamahome asked

"I-it's the emperor!" one of the guards exclaimed, and they all bowed.

"R-really?" Tamahome exclaimed, looking around frantically at the grounded guards.

The emperor merely nodded, a coy smile etched on her face. And Tamahome bowed as well.

"Hotohori is the Emperor? This young, beautiful woman?" I asked

"You IDIOT! The emperor's a man!" Tamahome scolded.

"No way" I said stubbornly.

"Just bow already!" But Tamahome's demand was in vain, for I was over by the emperor, feeling his/her chest.

"Completely flat! Which means he's got one of _those_ down there!" I concluded. Tamahome rushed up and hit me in the head.

"Don't think like that!"

The emperor, who I now knew was a man, lead us to his throne room, where many guards awaited us, and made a path leading to his thrown.

Tamahome laid Percy down in front of us. The poor girl looked like she was at her last minutes with the way she was wheezing.

"Please, can you help her?" I sobbed. I don't know what I'd do without my friend.

"Well, I she is who I think she is..." Hotohori trailed off, looking at her.

"Has she used any powers while she's been here?" He asked suddenly.

"Uhm...yea, there were these thugs that attacked us and she started to radiate this...I don't know, energy I guess. This pure, un-human energy that made her glow this bright, angry red and she beat the guys to a pulp with a strength I've never seen from her."

"Hmm, yes. I think I can help you. You there, bring the sword." He said, gesturing to one of his men.

A few moments later, the guard comes back with a large thing wrapped in a beautifully woven red and golden cloth.

"What is that?" Tamahome and I both asked

"This" Hotohori explained, taking the wrapped cloth from the guard "I the sword of Suzaku"

Peeling off the layers from the top of the wrapped thing, he revealed a bejeweled hilt. It was large, the neck the length of both of my hands, and thick as well, the silver iron rose us and wrapped around a ruby the size of the palm of my hand, and the two lower parts were just as intricately woven into 2 similar rubies half the size of the top.

Hotohori brought it closer to Percy, and suddenly, my friend stopped wheezing, and her face turned to it's normal color.

But she also started to glow that bright red color.

Suddenly, the sword vibrated and then started to levitate, as did Percy.

And, just as suddenly, when they were high off the ground, a blinding light filled the room.

PERCY'S POV AT LAST~

Have you ever had the flu? And every single part of your body aches, you can't move anything, breathing is a workout and you just wanna die?

Think that, times a thousand, and floating aimlessly in a cold dark space while voices are whispering for you to have a horrible death, and you have what I experienced for the last 5 hours.

I wouldn't recommend it for a vacation, to be sure.

And just when I was going to give up hope, a blinding red light radiates the space I was in. and suddenly, I was in a place that I don't think any human had ever been.

I was floating just above the surface of a river the color of sapphire and as smooth as melted gold. The sun was setting on the horizon in front of me, making the sky explode into an array of purples, yellows, oranges and pinks. The clouds framing the lowering sun so perfectly, it was a shame I had no way to frame it. Marsh grass, Hibiscus plants and palm trees lined the white sanded shore, and farther, rolling hills were spotted with multi-colored light dotting them in a red, blue, green and white pattern. A single mansion was atop the largest, plushest hill where wild flowers surrounded it.

And I saw a man looking at me from the large front porch. Just stared. From this distance I was from him, the only thing I could see was his hair and the bright cherry color it was.

"Just like mine..." I muttered under my breath, stroking a lock of my own hair.

Then, from the heavens, a bright red beam of light shot down right behind me, starling and causing me to make quite the girly scream.

And as my eyes adjusted to the overly bright entrance of the object, I was more then slightly confused.

It was a heavy looking iron sword that was about three feet in length, and as wide as half my hand. It had the symbol of the ogre in the middle of the neck.

_I am Hono no Kaishi. I will aid you in your journeys to come. I am your power. _

"Okay..." yea, I know, real smart trusting a large, sharp talking object, but I didn't see how much choice I had. I turned my body around to see if the man was still there.

But he wasn't. The mansion porch was empty.

I looked back at the talking sword and slowly and hesitantly, I grabbed the hilt.

It felt, at first, like a tornado had hit me. Winds at a hundred miles an hour, enveloping my in it's bright red light horrid-ness.

And then, it was over.

I felt totally fine.

Like nothing had happened.

Except for the fact I was in a strange, albeit regal and very posh, throne room, surrounded by guards, a overly pretty man, the ogre guy and a teary-eyed Miaka.

All of whom were looking at me as if I had grown an extra head.

And I said the only sensible thing a person who had been unconscious and sick for hours could.

"Wassup guys?"


End file.
